Pedaling “Peeps”

One CASE = Price of 3 ROMEO Lunches!

Wow COW! I wish I would have known where to get a case of the “sugar free” peeps.

One case, with 24 unit packages, and 3 Peeps per unit equals = 72 Peeps!

Its funny how math works, 72 Peeps reminds me that the average age of my ROMEO biking buddies is 72 years old…go figure!  In either case, they are both “good peeps”.

If you are starting to wonder if this post is going to be about “peeps”…I can only say go back to the top and read the title one more time.

After reviewing the “title”, I don’t want to hear one more “peep” out of you!  Oh, I just remembered…that is what my Mom would always say to me when I told her I wanted to grow up and be a bike blogger!
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I started my Easter Sunday morning thinking about Saturday’s...“unofficial” ABC ...“Think Spring is Finally Here!” ride. The early morning sun was shinning and birds were chirping!

Two days and 90,000 words later, I am now only thinking about one thing to ask the “post hero” about, “Hey Hong Kong Steve, do you have any of those extra large BUTT band aides left from your 1975 Durham-Dallas trip?  Please check the right front pocket of your backpack…I’m sure they must be in there!”

The “Mrs.” must have sensed that I was going to be on one of those “butt busting blog-a-thongs”, when she gave me my only marching orders for the day.  My mission was to pick up the last few items needed for our planned 6:00 pm little family Easter dinner.

I told her, “No problem!  I’ll just ride my bike over to the Giant Eagle on Graham Rd., in the afternoon, to get those last few “exotic” items you need dear.”

The skies were overcast, and what a surprise, threatening to rain, when I rolled out of the drive way at 4:45 pm to head to Giant Eagle.  Lots of parked cars lined the streets, which I progressed through, indicating large family gatherings celebrating this Holiday.

When I rolled into the GE parking lot, there were a few cars.  As I got closer to the entrance, I began to sense that I was going to be in trouble.  Some GE employees were exiting, while the doormen stayed inside and locked up. 

“Are you opened?” I asked the exiting employees (duh…I am naturally dumb).  “Nope, we closed at 4:00 pm”.  “Oops, I am in trouble!” But, I was not alone.

Three other dumb guys were standing there with me, saying out loud to themselves, but in collective three part harmony, “Now what am I going to do?”

I turned and pedaled quickly to Marc’s…but no one was in their parking lot.

With blood pressure rising and the pulse ticking up a few notches, I pedaled in panic to SMACKME!  (That’s our family code word for State Rd Acme Fresh Market…and one usually gets “smacked” there with marginal offerings.  Our code work for the newer, better Bailey Rd CFalls Acme Fresh Market, because they’ve got your back, is BACKME!)

I later learned that the “lights” of both options, SMACKME and BACKME, were off for the holiday.  Wait until I see ACME CEO, Steve Albrecht, the next time I’m shopping.  I’ll give a “peep” of what’s on my mind.  (Okay…I’ll thank him for honoring his family values by being closed.)

There is only one choice left…my neighborhood CVS!  Please save me, please save me, please……

As I roll down State Road hope glimmers.  Lights are on!  Yes!  Salvation!  Well…at least for me…the last minute holiday “shop-er-holic”.

I have a long history of bingeing bad, at Christmas and Easter, with CVS, Walgreens, and Drug Mart for stocking stuffers and baskets.  Thus, I remind myself as I park my bike, “Remain calm and think control!”

My blackberry chirps a text message as I walk through the automated opening folding doors. It’s the “Mrs.”!!!  She would like to make sure I get the “diet” version of the soft drinks she wants me to pick up.

Give me a “brake” (that’s a bike pun for “break” if you are lurking out there…retired English teacher)!

She was sure Giant Eagle would have this in a can.

  Marc’s, SMACKME, BACKME, CVS???

That’s it, no more international traveling for her

…even if it is to see our first grand-daughter in Sao Palo!

I ask the young friendly counter service fellow, as I walk by with my bike helmet still on, if they carry Diet Gurana?  He “brakes” out into song, “Yes. We have no Guarana, we have no Guarana today!”

He then continues to look at me, as I walk to the beverage isle, thinking “that bike dude is a weirdo…we have never carried Gurana!  Does he think this is a Brazilian CVS, or what?”  

When I returned to the song bird’s counter, the customer that he is helping has temporarily exited to the parking lot…while his order is still rung up on oriole’s register…to get more cash out of his car.  I take the opportunity to organize my “stuff” on the adjacent counter space.

One dozen real eggs, milk chocalate eggs (gift for the Mrs.),
three bottles of "fruity" Izze pop that I hope will fly for "Guarana",
one triangular shaped Toblerone chocolate bar,
 purple bag of jelly beans, 3-pack of sugarless "Peeps"!
and Easter Card to say I am sorry...about "No Guarana".

All of the items fit into the rear panniers nicely.  I even discovered two “hiding spaces” in my rear pocket area…that I never knew where there (after nine months of those pannier following me for a bunch of miles)! Those two “pocket creases” are a perfect place to store the “extra peeps and beans” for my next post.

In the mean time, let me drop this post in the “Easter blog basket”, with these final three pictures:

COW immediatly ate one of the three "peeps"
upon arriving back home...no one else likes them!
Took picture to remember the next post, about two good peeps called,
"Peeps & Biker Culture!"

Speaking of "two good peeps" here is
the "Mrs" with Brazilian born granddaughter...
Laura Zagoto Johnson...Happy First Easter!

Two empty bowls...one bag of Jelly Beans!
Another post in the making!

PS - I guess it is good that I need to head down into the valley to the “non-ride lunch” with the ROMEO’s at Fishers for 11:30 am. It SUNNY and WINDY but I am riding anyway….so I’ll cut this short and give you a “break”.

PSS – Drafted this post in a Word document that says the count is...1,019.  Wow, how am I ever going to reach my goal of “shorter post”?

This one just took me 45 minutes to complete.  And, thanks for asking, “The ‘butt’ is feeling okay today!”


COW Proddings:
  4.7  Grocery Pick Up Mileage
14.1  Consulting Gig Commute Mileage
18.8 Total Easter Miles

* Average Speed: 12.7 mph    ** Weather:  Wet with light rain (nothing to complain about)